The death toll from a fuel tanker explosion near Kampala, Uganda, has risen to 24, according to government officials on Sunday. The tragic incident occurred in Kigogwa, approximately 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the capital, and is part of a troubling trend in the East African nation, where similar disasters have become more frequent due to individuals rushing to steal fuel from accident scenes.
Communications Minister Godfrey Kabbyanga reported that 11 people died at the site of the explosion on Tuesday, while 13 more succumbed to their injuries in Kiruddu and Bombo military hospitals. Some victims were burned beyond recognition, prompting police to conduct DNA testing to identify them.
The tanker was en route from Kampala to Gulu, a journey of around 650 kilometers (403 miles), when it overturned and caught fire. The driver remains missing.
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Several individuals are still hospitalized, as reported by NTV. This incident follows a recent fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria that claimed over 170 lives on October 15. Uganda has experienced multiple similar tragedies, including the 2019 Kyambura explosion that killed 19 and a 2002 incident near Kyambura that resulted in 70 deaths when an oil truck collided with a bus. In 2013, 33 people died in Kampala after a fuel truck overturned.
On Saturday, two additional tankers overturned on the road between Uganda and Rwanda—one colliding with a commercial truck, resulting in the deaths of the driver and assistant, while the other caught fire without causing any injuries.
